Coming of Age with Elephants

Cinematographer Bob Poole filmed his sister Dr. Joyce Poole in this National Geographic program. Joyce Poole fell in love with wild Africa when she was only seven years old. As a scientist working in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro, she made discoveries that changed the way we look at elephants. Joyce confirmed that African male elephants go into a state of musth, a period of heightened sexuality and aggressiveness, and she was on the forefront of the discovery that elephants communicate with sounds below the level of human hearing. But her journey with elephants has gone beyond science to the world of politics and controversy. After 14 years in the field, Joyce took charge of elephant management for Kenya Wildlife Service and faced the heartbreaking decision of whether to kill some of her beloved elephants in order to save the rest. National Geographic Television charts the touching story of a woman who is COMING OF AGE WITH ELEPHANTS.